Truck body



Dec. 20, 1932. w RD 1,891,301

TRUCK BODY Fil ed May a. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Esme/M304 JZZF; Bazfiaaux Dec. 20', 1932. E. P. BbRDEAux TRUCK BODY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 8. 1951 Patented Dec. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EPHR-IAM P. BORDEAUX, OF GALION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 PERFECTION STEEL BODY COMPANY, OF GALION, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO TRUCK BODY Application filed May 8, 1931. Serial No. 536,019.

This invention seeks to improve the 0011- of the floor there are provided gusset plates 5 which are similar in form to the wings 4 and struction of a body for dumping trucks and has for its object the provision of a body of sheet metal in which thesides may be swung downwardly and outwardly to increase the supporting and carrying area of the platform. The invention also has for its object the provision of reinforcements whereby buckling of the sides will be prevented, and also provides a structure whereby the presence of cracks or open spaces between the floor or platform and the sides will be avoided. Other objects will appear incidentally in the course of the following description, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly defined in the appended claims.

I11 the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a truck body embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing theside members in a lowered position,

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view, more particularly illustrating a corner construction.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the relation of a hinge member to a side reinforcement and illustrating certain features of construction, and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view illustrating another form of reinforcement.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a floor 1 of sheet metal, which may be of any desired dimensions and which is supported upon the chassis of the truck, the lon itudinal side edges of the floor resting upon and being reinforced by angle bars 2 which extend from end to end of the floor, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 2. At the front end of the floorthere is secured a front end plate 3 having its end portions turned rearwardly to form side wings or gusset plates 4, the lower ends of which extend downwardly below the floor and bear against the outer sides of the respective bars or sills 2. The lower edge of the end plate 3 is welded to the floor, and the depending end portions of the wings are welded to the sills or side bars 2, as will be understood. At the rear end depend below the floor and arewelded to the sides of the bars 2, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 4. Upon reference to Fig. 4, it will also be noted that the gusset plates 5 have rear extensions 6 extending vertically beyond the rear end of the floor, and

against the outer sides of these extensions are secured posts 7 of angle bars, and at the upper andlower ends of these angle bar posts are fitted brackets 8 and 9 which may be vof any convenient form and are intended to cooperate with hinge lugs or brackets 10 upon the upper edge of an end gate 11 or with studs or trunnions 12 at the lower corners of the end gate wherebythe gate may be mounted to swing about its upper edge or its lower edge, as may be deemedmost advantageous under any given conditions. I also provide a retaining chain 13 attached to the end gate and engageable with a suitable member upon the posts 7 whereby the end gate may be supported in a horizontal position, as indicatedv in Fig. 3. I

Inasmuch as the plates 4 and 5 bear against the outer sides of the bars 2 and against the side edges of the floor 1, a crack or open space will occur between the edges of the floor and the side plates of the body,and, to prevent waste of material through this space or crack, a filler strip 14 is provided, as shown in Fig. 4, which is placed against the outer side of the adjacent side bar 2 and has its ends abutting the lower ends of the plates 4 and 5, respectively. The filler strip may be welded to the side bar so as to be firmly secured in place, and its upper edge should be flush with the floor or platform 1, as will be understood. A facing strip 15 is placed against the outer side of each filler strip 14 and extends beyond the ends of the same to bear against the outer sides of the depending portions of the respective plates4 and 5.

The lower hinge eyes or brackets 16 are secured to the outer sides of the respective facing strips and are arranged in pairs, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 5. The side plates 17 of the body are provided on their outer sides with upper hinge members 18, the lower ends of which are disposed between the members of pairs of the lower hinge elements, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. These hinge elements, as well as all other parts of the body, are constructed of sheet metal and have their alined ends rolled into sleeves or eyes through which hinge rods 19 are inserted, whereby the side plates will be mounted upon the facing strips 15and maybe readily swung into the upright position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or lowered. into the horizontal posltion indlcated in Flg.

2. The upper longitudinal edges of the side plates are bent into overhanging flanges 20 whereby the side plates are reinforced and any tendency of the same to buckle is effectually resisted, and additional reinforcements are disposed vertically upon the side plates and serve to house the upper hinge members, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 5. These reinforcements 21 are stamped from sheet metal and have a general triangular formation, provided at their lower inner corners with openings through which the hinge rods 19 pass whereby the reinforcements will serve as additional hinge connections between the side plates and the facing strips. The lower edges ofthereinforcements are at right angles to the inner vertical edges of the same and are disposed, somewhat below the upper edges of the respective facing strips, the corners of the reinforcements being formedon arcs concentric with the hinge rods so that there will be no interference with the swinging movement of the side plates. When the side plates are swung downwardly, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the lower shorter sides or edges of the reinforcements will bear against the outer sides of the respective facing strips and will thereby limit the downward movement of the side plates, as well as support them in the horizontal extended position, in which position they will lie flush with the floor 1. In the form of reinforcement shown in Fig. 5, the inner vertical'edges of each reinforcement are welded to the respective side plates, and the lower end of the reinforcement is closed by an integral transverse web 22.

In Fig. 6 is shown a form of reinforcement 23 in which the outer inclined edges of the element are connected by a web 24, while the lower end of the element is open, as indicated at 25.

The overhanging flange 20 of each side plate 17 is adapted to lie directly under a bracket or lug 26 on the plate 4: or the plate- 5, as the case may be, and a retaining pin 27 is inserted through openings provided therefor in said lugs and flanges so as to retain the side plates in their raised position. To avoid bending of the retaining pins, a reinforcing lug 28 is provided on the side plate under the flange 20 and provided with an opening alined with the opening'in the flange whereby an extended bearing for the pin is provided.

Stakes 29 are stamped from sheet metal blanks into channel form and are held upon the respective flanges 20 by set screws 30 and are adapted to lie longitudinally upon the flanges when the side plates are raised, as shown in Fig. 1. When the side plates are lowered so as to provide an extended loading surface, the stakes are turned so as to extend upwardly from the flanges, as shown in Fig. 3 and by dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereby they will retain upon the platform the articles or matter loaded onto the same.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it wil be seen that I have provided a structure all the parts of which may be readily stamped from sheet metal so that the device v may be produced rapidly and at low cost. With the end gate in raised position and the side plates also raised, the body assumes a box-like form adapted to containgrain, sand, or otherloose material which is generally transported in bulk, and the side plates will fit closely against the wings or gusset plates 4i and 5 and against the filler strip let so that waste of material cannot occur. In this position, the stakes 29 will lie within the area of H V the flanges 20 so that they will not interfere with the loading or unloading of the body. If it be desired to transport material of a more bulky nature, such ashay or straw, or to carry unusually wide boxes, the side mem- V bers are swung downwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the stakes are then turned to extend upwardly so that they will retain the load upon the floor and the lowered side members. The body may be dumped in the usual manner by any known or approved mechanism, and the end gate may be swung from itsupper edge or its lower edge, opening automatically as the body tilts when it is swung at its upper edge. 7

The device, constructed according to my in 'vention, is strong and durable without excessive weight and is very simple in construction and arrangement of its several parts.

Having thus described the invention, I. claim: 7

1. A vehicle body comprising a floor, vertical plates at the opposite s des and'ends of the floor, filler strips extending between the lower ends of said vertical plates along the side edges of the floor, facing strips secured against the outer sides of the filler strips and the vertical plates and side members hingedly mounted at the outer sides of the facing strips.

2. A vehicle body comprising a floor. a front end plate fixed to the floor and havin side wings depending below the floor, gusset plates fixed at the opposite sides of the floor at the rear end of the same. sills extending along thebo-ttom of the floor at the side edges of the same and having their ends secured against the inner sides of the lower end portions of the wings and gusset plates respectively, filler strips secured against the outer sides of the sills and having their ends abutting the wings and gusset plates, a facing strip secured against the outer sides of the filler strips and the wings and gusset plates, and side members hingedly mounted upon said facing strips.

3. A vehicle body comprising a floor, sills extending along the side edges of the floor and secured to the bottom thereof, plates ris-v ing vertically from the corners of the floor at the sides of the same and having their lower ends secured against the sills, facing strips secured at their ends against the lower ends of said plates and extending from plate to plate, side members hingedly mounted at the V outer sides of the facing strips, and reinforcements on the side members, said reinforcements having parallel side webs presented edgewise to the side members and having their lower ends extending angularly from the hinge mounts to abut the facing strips when the side members are lowered whereby to limit the lowering movement and support the side members in lowered position.

4. In a vehicle body, a floor, a supporting member extending from end to end of the floor along the side of the same, a side edge member, hinge elements carried by said side on the vertical plates near their upper ends projecting over the flanges on the side members, reinforcing lugs on the side members I, wardly projecting flanges along their upper longitudinal edges, and V stakes pivotally mounted on the upper faces of said flanges to lie longitudinally thereon parallel with and between the edges thereof in theupright position of the side members or to extend upwardly therefrom in the lowered position of the side members.

I In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EPHRIAM P. BORDEAUX. [L. 5.]

member and the supporting member respectively whereby to connect the side member to the supporting member, the supporting members being free of projections below the hinge elements, and reinforcements on the side member consisting of sheet material of triangular formation with parallel side webs and a cross web connecting the side webs having their lower edges projecting laterally at a right angle to the supporting member and the side member whereby, when the side member is lowered, to abut the supporting member and maintain the side member in horizontal position.

5. A vehicle body comprising a floor, vertical plates at the opposite sides and ends of the floor having their lower ends depending below the floor, filler strips extending between the lower ends of said plates along the side edges of the floor, and hingedly mounted side members adapted to extend upward against the outer sides of the vertical plates or extend outwardly therefrom in the horizontal plane of the floor and the upper edges of the filler strips.

6. A vehicle body comprising a floor, supports therefor, vertically disposed plates at the corners of the floor secured at their lower ends to the supports, side members hingedly supported at the side edges of the floor and having outwardly projecting overhanging flanges along their upper edges, brackets 

